Rent Law Pact "Terrible Deal," For Tenants, Advocate Says

Local leaders and residents rally on the Bronx Courthouse steps last week 
for stronger rent laws (photo by Jeanmarie Evelly)

Lawmakers are reportedly finalizing a deal on the state's rent laws today, a full week after the Emergency Tenant Protection Act--which sets the guidelines for millions of rent-regulated apartments in the city and across New York--expired on June 15.

Housing advocates and many Bronx elected officials have been pushing to see the laws not only extended, but strengthened in favor of tenants. But the legislature's tentative deal, struck last night, does little to meet most of the goals these groups wanted to see addressed.

"It's a terrible deal," said Michael McKee, of the Tenants Political Action Committee, who has been camped out in Albany since last week.

Bronx Tenants Rally for Rent Laws, But Cuomo Goes His Own Way

Members of the tenant rights group CASA at last week's Bronx rent reform rally. (Photo by J. Evelly)

Bronx residents, tenant organizers and elected officials held a rally last Thursday at the Bronx Library Center on Kingsbridge Road, calling for stronger rent laws under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, which expires this June and sets guidelines for hundreds of thousands of rent regulated apartments in the Bronx, and about a million across the city.

Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's tentative budget deal with lawmakers, announced yesterday, conspicuously leaves out any provisions relating to the state's rent laws--to the disappointment of local legislators and advocates who have been pushing the governor on the issue.

Espada Misses Vote on Important Housing Bill

Espada at a rally for his "rent freeze" bill in February (file photo)

Sen. Pedro Espada's absence at a special Senate session in Albany yesterday was a conspicuous one, as the controversial Majority Leader failed to make the trek to the capitol, while his primary election rival Gustavo Rivera--now Senator-elect--did.

Also making the journey to Albany? A group of city housing advocates intent on supporting an important housing bill to extend current rent stabilization laws until 2018--a lobbying effort that ultimately failed, as the bill was just a few votes short of the 32 needed to pass.

Espada missed the vote on the bill despite the fact that he is the chairman of the Senate's housing committee and happens to be the legislation's main sponsor.

"No one believed any of the stories [for why he didn't show up]," said Michael McKee, director of the Tenants PAC and the Real Rent Reform Campaign, who attended yesterday's session.

Tenants PAC Endorses Gustavo Rivera; Rescinds Supports for 3 Dems

Tenants Political Action Committee (PAC) announced its support this morning for Gustavo Rivera in his bid to unseat incumbent Pedro Espada, Jr. in the 33rd Senate District. It adds to a growing list of endorsements for Rivera, who is also being supported by several unions and prominent elected officials.

“In contrast to the incumbent, Gustavo Rivera is a true progressive and a person of integrity who is concerned about the welfare of the people of the 33rd State Senate District, not in lining his pockets,” said Tenants PAC board member Michael McKee.

Tenants PAC is essentially the political arm of the Real Rent Reform Campaign, which is an umbrella organization of pro-tenant groups, including the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, that advocates for tenant protection legislation.

In addition to announcing its support for Rivera, Tenants PAC also rescinded its endorsements of three incumbent Democratic State Senators -- Brian Foley, Daniel Aubertine and David Valesky -- after they voted against two smaller tenant protection bills on Aug. 3.

Espada, who is chairman of the housing committee, also voted against the bills. McKee, who is executive director of the Real Rent Reform Campaign, has long accused Espada of being a puppet of real estate and landlord groups. “Just look at Espada’s campaign disclosure reports and you will see why he fronts for the landlords,” said McKee in a statement. “His contributors are a Who’s Who of the real estate industry.”

According to the Bronx News Network's own analysis, Espada has received more than $178,000 in contributions from the real estate industry and landlord groups. This year, his nine housing committee meetings lasted an average of 3 minutes and 45 seconds.

Here's our story on Espada's tenure as chairman of the housing committee.

Espada's Town Hall Meeting Rescheduled

[Ed. note: this post has been updated from its original version.]

The town hall-style meeting at Church of the Mediator featuring State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., which had drawn the attention of pro-tenant housing advocates who were planning to hold a protest outside of the meeting, has been rescheduled because of safety concerns, said Diego Delgado-Miller, the head pastor of the Kingsbridge area church.

A new date has not yet been determined, Delgado-Miller said.

When asked why the church had decided to reschedule the meeting, Delgado-Miller offered a short chuckle as if he was amused by all the attention the meeting was receiving. "We wanted to make sure it was more secure, more peaceful," he said. "We wanted people to feel safe."

Activists from the Real Rent Reform campaign, which includes several pro-tenant housing groups, including the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition and Housing Here and Now, had planned to protest outside of the church because the meeting was limited to an invite-only crowd and they wanted to highlight Espada's inaction on several key pieces of pro-tenant housing legislation.

Delgado-Miller said he had invited Espada to speak at his church, "Because I wanted to people to know him and what he is doing."

Michael McKee of Housing Here and Now also wanted people to know what Espada is doing, or not doing, as Chairman of the Senate's housing committee.  "He has bottled every single one of our housing bills in his housing committee," he said.

Earlier today, Espada's chief of staff, Alex Diaz, told the Daily News that they needed to limit the town hall participants to those who had registered because of space concerns.

McKee said it was because Espada only likes to participate in events that he can "tightly control" and where he can hand-pick the audience.

Espada just sent out an angry press release about the postponement. "The meeting will be rescheduled for those who registered to attend so their questions can be answered and their concerns addressed in the civil environment that was intended," he said in the release. [Update: these quotes were technically sent out in a joint statement by Espada and Diego-Miller.]

He went on to denounce the protesters as "political rabble-rousers" -- "the same people who are paid a small stipend and a food voucher to some cheap restaurant to appear at events to disrupt, spit on people, use obscene language, intimidate and push people around."

Indeed some of the protesters, including McKee (who said he was about to get on the 1-Train before learning of the cancellation) are from outside of the community, but many were from the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, which is made up of local volunteer activists, most all of whom are from Espada's 33rd District.

McKee said it is actually Espada who buses in and pays people -- such as employees and patients of his Soundview health clinics -- to show up at his events.

Espada is running for re-election this fall. 

We'll have more on this later. Stay Tuned.